As Odisha and West Bengal prepare for Cyclone Yaas to make its landfall on Wednesday, the National Disaster Response Force deployed its highest-ever number of teams to the two states to undertake relief and rescue operations.
According to the Indian Express a total of 112 teams of the NDRF have been deployed in five states and the union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands ahead of the Cyclone.
The Indian Army’s Eastern Command is helping with the rescue and relief operations in West Bengal and Odisha.
The Indian Meteorological Department has put out a warning to the two states which may witness snapping of electrical power lines and trees while low lying areas will be inundated with low visibility. IMD said the Cyclone is intensifying into a ‘very severe cyclonic’ storm.
Cyclone Yaas has already intensified in Hooghly and North 24 Paraganas districts which reported at least 80 houses damaged, several injured and two people dying due to electrocution.
The West Bengal government announced that the Kolkata airport is to remain shut from 8:30am to 7:45pm on Wednesday.